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Of all its gloom the stone forever rolled away. Thy death, the power of death did slay we joy to see the Lord arise triumphant through the open skies, and hear all heaven united own the worthy to ascend the throne. In that regard, I'd like to suggest we take up the 24th chapter of the Book of Luke.
Think about it too.
Praise the Lord.
You want the whole chapter? Read or.
To the end of verse 27.
OK.
24.
First one.
Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout. Behold, 2 men stood by them in shining garments. And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but he is risen. Remember how he spake unto you, when he was yet in Galilee?
Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, And the third day rise again. And they remembered his words, and returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the the 11 and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.
And their words seem to them as idle tales, and they believe them not.
Then arose Peter, and ran unto the Sepulchre. And stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wandering in himself at that which was come to pass.
And behold, two of them went the same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem. About 3 score furlongs.
And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass that while they commune together, and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near and went with them, But their eyes were holding that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that you have one to another as you walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleophus answering, said unto him.
Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and has not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty indeed, and the word before God and all the people, And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel.
And beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done. Yeah, And certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the Sepulchre. And when they found not his body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us, went to the sepulchre and found it Even so, as the woman had said.
But him they saw not. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart, to believe all that the prophets have spoken, ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses, and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
00:05:10
Begins with the resurrection and ends with the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. And they're two very real and precious truths that we need to tenaciously hold on to in Christianity. First of all, the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus did not just rise in spirit as some have taught down through the ages. There are plenty of scriptures to show us.
Including this chapter that he bodily rose from the dead.
And then, as a man, a moment came at the end of this chapter, when his feet left the Mount of Olives and he ascended back up. And today he seated at the right hand of God. And these truths are what are unique to Christianity, if I can put it this way. They set Christianity apart from all the other so-called great religions of the world. We can go to many tombs today in various parts of the world.
Where they will boast of the bones and the dust of the religious leaders who have risen and fallen here in this world. But, brethren, we have a tomb too. But as we're going to notice as we go down through these verses, it's an empty tomb. And we have not just a living Savior, but we have one who's at the right hand of God. Because as we learn later on in the Epistles, Christianity sets us in relationship with Christ.
Not here in this world as they knew him when he walked amongst men, but it sets us in relationship with the man at God's right hand. Very beautiful and very important to get ahold of in our souls and to enjoy the resources that we have in a not only a risen Savior, but a glorified Savior. Just make this little comment to that as you go through the four Gospels and you read of the.
Circumstances surrounding the crucifixion, the trial and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. There are circumstances and events mentioned or left out in each gospel according to the character of the gospel and the way in which the Lord Jesus is presented to us in that gospel. But I think it's very significant to realize that in each of the four gospels.
The resurrection is stressed.
And that there are a number of scriptures at the end of each of the four Gospels. And yes, there are a few little different details in connection with the event. But the Spirit of God wants us to understand very clearly, no matter which gospel a person reads. We understand very clearly that not only did the Lord Jesus die and was buried, but he rose again the 3rd day according to the scriptures, as Paul brings out in the book of Corinthians, so very, very precious and important truth to enjoy.
Get a hold of in our souls.
It was a very difficult thing, wasn't it, for those dear disciples to get that precious truth through to their hearts and to their minds that the Lord was really risen.
He had said it over and over several times to them when they were with him on earth, and yet they couldn't seem to grasp at or understand it.
Too hard on them. We need to remember that no one had ever risen from the dead before under, if I could say it reverently, his or her own power.
There had been in the Old Testament in the times of.
Elijah and Elijah. There had been those who were raised from the dead. The Lord Jesus himself had raised.
00:10:01
Various ones from the dead, and perhaps more than are even recorded in Scripture.
But the thought that one would rise by himself from the dead.
That was an astounding and entirely new thought. And of course we know that it is still scoffed at in the world today. But it is really the key to everything in Christianity, isn't it? We don't need to turn to it. But Paul brings that out in First Corinthians 15 that if Christ is not raised, you have no savior.
You are yet in your sins, and so everything in Christianity hinges on the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
And some here, in perhaps my age bracket, will remember our late brother Clifford Brown, who used to remind us that true Christianity begins on the other side of the cloud. That is not merely with resurrection, but with ascension. And so it's something that.
Needs to be very, very precious to our souls and something that is really part of a complete gospel too, isn't it?
So on the left hand, the resurrection, the glorification, ascension, and glorification of Christ were God's. Amen to the work of Calvary, because it tells us God hath raised him from the dead and seated him at his own right hand. But as brother Billis said too he he also said of himself in John chapter 10. I believe it's the 18th verse, he said of his life. No man taketh it from me. I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again.
This commandment have I received of my father.
And as has been said, this was something that was new and unique, and something that prior to the resurrection was very hard, if not almost impossible, for his own to to grasp.
But very wonderful here at the beginning of this chapter, we have the stone rolled away as these ladies come. And why was the stone rolled away? It was not rolled away, brethren, so the Lord could come out in resurrection. Because later on, as we we read, when the doors were shut for fear of the Jews, the Lord Jesus came and stood in the midst of His own. He had a real body and resurrection, as was confirmed to them.
But it was a body that wasn't subject to physical hindrances.
And so he could have come out of the tomb without the stone being rolled away. But why was the stone rolled away? It was rolled away for those ladies, for Peter and John who came later, and for you, and for me by faith to gaze into an to an empty tomb, to realize that beyond a shadow of a doubt the Lord Jesus had indeed risen from the dead. By the power of God the Father, yes, but also by his own power.
He came forth in Resurrection, Brethren. If that doesn't thrill our souls, I don't know what goes on within our souls. And it really makes us very responsible too, doesn't it? To realize that we are responsible now to one who not only laid down his life, but one who is risen. And I suppose that's why.
The resurrection has been so discredited by the enemy down through the ages because as soon as.
We recognize or bow to the fact of the truth of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus man realizes he has a responsibility to his maker and he does not want to recognize his responsibility. And so the Jews, Jewish leaders, they sought to discredit this. And even in the book of the Acts it's interesting to notice that when they preach the gospel or spoke the truth, there often wasn't out and out animosity.
Until the resurrection was mentioned, and as soon as the resurrection was mentioned, Then you find they'd gnash on them with their teeth. They'd pick up stones to stone them, they'd drive them out of the city, They throw them in prison. It was the truth of the resurrection that they did not want to hear, because it made them responsible.
00:15:08
They also hear that Genesis is the seed plot of the Bible. And that's true, isn't it?
And I think you alluded to it, Jim. But it's important to understand, isn't it, that every religion in the world aligns itself either after Cain or after Abel?
Religions, with one exception, aligned themselves after Cain. That is, they bring the work of their hands without any blood sacrifice.
Both boys should have known better because they were taught by their parents. But Abel alone of the two brought a blood sacrifice, and not only was there blood there, but as we know, not only did the Lord Jesus die, but he rose from the dead.
And that separates Christianity from every religion of the world. The leader of every religion in the world is in the grave still. Only the Lord Jesus has risen from the dead. That separates Christianity from every religion.
How important that is? And I was thinking too, Brother Bill, as you were speaking, about the importance of resurrection, You know, I'm glad that these people were somewhat, we might say, skeptical. That proves the reality, doesn't it? A lot of people like to say, well, you know, the resurrection, they just swallowed it because they were Christians or because they knew the Lord. But they didn't just swallow it. They had consistent doubts as we would. I remember reading a commentary once.
And this was actually in the in the magazine Time. I don't know anything about the author. I think he might have been a Christian, but nonetheless he said that the book of Luke reads like a story well told. We can put ourselves right there. In fact, it is the book as we know, where the Lord Jesus is presented as the Son of Man. If God were to become a man, how would he feel and act and speak? That's what we have in the book of Luke, don't we?
He is the social man in the book of Luke, and so we can identify with them in a way that's unique among the Gospels. And so I'm glad again that these disciples were skeptical. They weren't just gullible people, as a lot of people like to suggest. But that gives power to the testimony of the resurrection, doesn't it? They had to be convinced against their will, and they were.
Hmm.
There's something else that's unique to Christianity, too, and we have it in the opening verse of our chapter, and that is the first day of the week, and that is unique to Christianity. And again, it's very significant that in each of the four Gospels that is stressed. You don't need to turn to it. But I'm just going to read you from each of the four, the other three Gospels, the expression that is used at the beginning of the chapter, where the resurrection is brought before us.
In Matthew's Gospel, it says in the end of the Sabbath as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week. Then in Marks gospel it says and when the Sabbath was passed, and then it talks about the women that came. In John's Gospel it says the first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene and so on. And in our chapter that we're taking up it says and upon the first day of the week.
And this is the day that is unique to Christianity. And again, it's very important to understand this. The first day of the week, or as John later refers to it in Revelation. The Lords day is not the Christian Sabbath. It wasn't a remake. Christianity wasn't a remake of the old order of things, the Jewish order of things. The Sabbath was given to Israel.
This is just a little aside, but I have talked to Christians who feel they should keep the Sabbath or that the Lord's Day is the Christian Sabbath as they would label it. But I have turned them back to Exodus where it says that the Sabbath is to be. It was to be a sign between Jehovah and the children of Israel. And I've often asked individuals who who speak of keeping the Sabbath. If you can tell me what tribe you're from, then I'll say you should be keep you should keep the Sabbath. But if you can't tell me what tribe you're from if you're not a Jew. The Sabbath was never given to the to the Gentiles.
It's unique to Christianity. And so it's the day the Lord rose from the dead. He appeared to his own later on, as we'll notice on the first day of the week. It's the day when the Spirit of God descended at Pentecost, And it is in Acts 20, the day in which the believers met to remember the Lord Jesus in the breaking of bread. We see, I believe, very quickly, in the early history of Christianity.
00:20:21
But the first day of the week became that which was unique to the early believers and their joy and exercise to come together for the breaking of bread and other things as well. But again, I believe this is very important to understand that the Sabbath was now to be set aside. And the first day of the week, or as we often refer to it as Lord's Day, is the day when we remember the Lord Jesus.
Umm, thank God in a country like this, most of us are able to have the day off. But you know, when I go to Egypt in a few weeks, they're in a Muslim country. So what will they do? They've got to get up and go to work and school and activities during on Lord's Day. It's not a holiday in a Muslim country. What do they do? Well, they come together at 9:00 at night when their responsibilities are done so that they can remember the Lord Jesus on the first day of the week.
Resurrection by faith, but for those who were.
Eyewitnesses, if we could say it at the time, God gave every possible proof, didn't he? Even for the natural man.
Certainly the disciples could have rolled the stone away from the sepulchre, and I don't suppose the technical details need be that important to us, but when they buried people in those days, they wrapped them round and round from head to toe.
With.
These grave clothes and then a napkin around the head.
We can all see that there would be only two ways, humanly speaking, that you could take the body out of those grave clothes.
Either you had to unwind them over and over again, round and round and unwind them, or you had to take a knife or a pair of scissors or something and cut through them.
If either one of those had been done, it would have been very obvious that the hand of man was in it, and that the body had been stolen. But here were the linen clothes lying just as they were, and the body gone. That could not be done except by divine power.
And so here was one who rose from the dead and gave ample proof, not only at the time, but as we find later.
In the number of appearances that He made to his own, we know he never appeared to the world after His crucifixion and subsequent death and blood shedding. But He did appear to many, many witnesses as we find out.
Reading in First Corinthians 15, so that even the natural man in some cases has been thoroughly convinced that there is no event more attested to in history, even from a natural point of view.
Than the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Well, we can be very thankful, can't we, that you and I can rest by faith on what God's word says. And we know as we read in this chapter that not only is he risen from the dead, but he is ascended. And so, as we say again, everything in Christianity depends on that resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
The Lord allowed many of those who saw him to remain for at least 25 years.
In First Corinthians 15.
It says in the sixth verse. After that he was seen of above 500 brethren at once, of whom a greater part remain unto this present.
Go ask them.
Good.
Well, as you say, Brother Vern, God gives very ample proofs, but man believes what he wants to believe, doesn't he? The heart of man believes what he wants to believe. And whether it's the resurrection of the Lord Jesus or many other things such as the theory of evolution, if it ever had anything to support it, which it really didn't.
00:25:24
But if there was anything that seemed to support it in any way.
The props have all been totally knocked out from under it in the last 20 years. And what does man do? He's just revises it somehow and keeps right on going. And so it is a matter of faith, isn't it? And what man wants to believe that he believes and what he will reject, he rejects. But how wonderful to know that we do have a risen Savior and the rest of the chapter is a wonderful.
Development of all of that and what happened in the minds and hearts of some of those who.
Were not convinced. And others who saw him, and yet were terrified and frightened. The Lord graciously looked after those things, didn't he? The Lord was very gracious to those who couldn't see this right at the beginning, and who struggled with it. And again I say, before we're too hard on them, remember that they were not indwelt with the Spirit of God, and in that way you and I, if we could say it kindly, have a tremendous advantage.
What a difference, Peter. It says here in verse 12 it says ran under the sepulchre and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass. He didn't doubt the event. Peter was not, if I could say it kindly. Peter was not stupid, and when he saw those linen clothes I believe he was convinced and another scripture supports that.
But he wonders at it. What happens just a matter of a few weeks later, on the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit of God comes down? What a difference.
A Tremendous.
Or gives a tremendous sermon that ties together Old Testament scriptures and points out how all of this had to happen. What made the difference?
The Spirit had come down and given intelligence in divine things.
Too hard on these people. Let's remember that they did not yet have the Spirit of God, but how graciously the Lord looks after them and shows them very, very carefully, even following two on the way to Emmaus to show them that yes, it was real, but what did he want them to see it from? And I know it's anticipating He wanted them to see it from the scriptures, and that's what God refers us to, doesn't he?
Could have said immediately when they were walking along that road. Well, here I am. I'm alive.
But instead he uses the scriptures so that when he ascended to glory.
They would have that on which their faith could rest.
And having said that, it'd be nice to just make a comment or two on these ladies that had come early to the Sepulchre, because they too weren't intelligent really as to what was taking place. They had some of them had followed the Lord Jesus in his pathway and ministered to the to Him. We read of some of them named in another place, Mary Magdalene, Johanna Susanna. They followed the Lord and ministered to Him of their substance.
Some of these ladies had stood at the foot of the cross and watched what was taking place as the Lord Jesus suffered in His agony. And now we find that they are the ones that come early to the Sepulchre. In fact, it's they who bear the news to the disciples that he has risen. Why did the Lord ordain it in this way? Because while there was not the intelligence yet that we have in Christianity and as Brother Bill has said, because of the Spirit of God and and completed scriptures and so on and and actually further testimony.
In Stephen and Paul and so on later on. But God brings this out. I mean, God allowed this, ordained it, that these women would be the those who would come first because they were women who had affection for the person of Christ. Now having said that, I just like to go over to John's Gospel for a little detail that you don't really get here in in Luke, but in John's Gospel chapter 20.
00:30:08
We won't read this all, but we find that in John's Gospel, the focus is on Mary Magdalene, a woman who loved the Lord. Perhaps her love and affection in the gospel stands out in contrast to all others, but we find that she's the one that's mentioned in the first verse that comes, and she's the one who is mentioned who takes the message. This is a little aside, but it's very interesting to realize.
That Mary came from Magda, which was within the boundaries of the tribe of Naphtali, and I believe that she's the fulfillment of what it says of Naphtali in the Old Testament. Naphtali is a hind let loose and full of goodly words. Here was a hind let loose and full of goodly words. Here was the one who was told. Go tell my brethren, she was the one who had the message. But what I want to point out is.
But when Peter and John come to the Sepulchre, they we find that they come, they go, they eventually go in, they see the linen, clothes, and so on, and they return home. If I can put it this way, they were content with an empty tomb, and to realize, at least in some degree, that the Lord Jesus had risen from the dead. But notice what it says of Mary.
Verse 11 But Mary stood without the sepulchre weeping, and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre and see if 2 angels sitting in white, the one at the head and the other at the feet of the body of of Jesus, where Jesus where the the body of Jesus had lain.
Now we won't read on because we know the story, but it's very interesting read the verses that follow because Mary was not content with an empty tomb. Mary was not content just to see the linen clothes lying orderly in the tomb. She would be content with nothing less than the person of the Lord Jesus.
And when she actually sees the Lord Jesus and supposes him to be the gardener, she says. If you've taken him away.
Tell me where he is, and I'll go, and I'll go to him. Even if it meant being close to his dead body, she would be content with nothing less than the person of Christ. Brethren, I covet that for my own soul that ought to speak to to to each of us. She wasn't intelligent, she received intelligence. Later on she gets this wonderful message, but with a heart so attracted to the person of Christ.
She wouldn't leave until she had them. And did she get his dead body? No.
She got a risen savior.
Oh, I don't suppose we understand what it must have done for Mary's heart to be able to see that it was the Lord Jesus risen. This was what was going to satisfy her heart. So, brethren, how wonderful the resurrection is. But how wonderful the person who rose from the dead, so does he so attract our hearts that we want nothing less than nearness to himself.
Is that a danger today that we might know a lot about him but we don't know him?
And that's right, Burn. Because we can take up a chapter like this and we can give a scent to the resurrection we believe. It has has been said by faith. We're going to speak a little bit of other circumstances between the Resurrection and the Ascension. We give assent to the Ascension of Christ as one of the tremendous truths of Christianity.
But our will our hearts go out more to the person of Christ as a result of these meetings.
And taking up a chapter like this, if they do, then there's been profit and benefit in our being here.
In that connection, there is a real danger even on the believer.
Of what we have in verse 11.
00:35:05
What happens when those women whose affections had been touched, come to, as it says here unto the apostles?
Accompanied with the Lord during all of His earthly ministry, who had been in a unique position to hear His teaching, and likewise to be told the precious truth that he had to suffer.
And die and rise again from the dead. And not only could they not understand it, but when these women come bearing this precious message, what does it say?
Their words seem to them as idle tales, and they believe them not.
We make allowance. I say it kindly that maybe Mary Magdalene was not noted for her natural intelligence.
But all the same.
If their hearts had wanted to believe it.
It would have had an effect, wouldn't it? And.
I speak to my own heart, but I agree with you Vern, that we can be intelligent as to many things in Christianity, and yet if it is not a present living reality in our souls, then sometimes it can get to the point where it becomes as idle tales. It's sad when that happens, but I have to say that I have talked to dear believers. I say dear believers because I know they are believers.
And yet, when some of the precious things of Christ are presented, it is just discounted, as if, Well, that doesn't have any practical value in my life, for that doesn't have any special meaning for me.
It can get that way. Other things of course can get in the way. And we know that dear Peter had failed and.
Perhaps some of the other apostles were still wondering who was going to be the greatest and so on, But it's a sad thing when the.
Revelation of what God has done in Christ does not have an effect on our heart, and it can happen to any of us, can it?
Might just say that God has so constructed it, and even in the breaking of bread.
That there's nothing there except Christ. And if you're not enjoying Christ, it can be the deadest place in the world. But if you are enjoying him as a practical communion in your own soul, there's no place on earth as sweet as that.
And so we can know all these things and many people leave that place.
But I believe that's part of the problem, is that we know all these things we know about him.
Don't know him. We don't want to discredit intelligence in divine things either. Both are important. And so in that regard I was thinking of two Marys that we have in close association, because we find that Mary and Bethany, she denotes to U.S. intelligence in divine things. I say that because you'll you do not find Maria Bethany either at the foot of the cross or at the empty tomb.
Very interesting, isn't it? Because the Lord said of her, she came before to anoint me to the burial, and I believe Mary of Bethany understood beyond what even the disciples understood as to what was taking place. She was certainly a woman of affection who sat at the feet of Jesus, but she's also a woman of intelligence. Mary Magdalene then, as we've been saying, speaks to us more of affection in divine things.
And God wants both. He wants affection in divine things and he wants intelligence in divine things too. Because as Ephesians, one tells us, he's abounded to us in all wisdom. And I think Mr. Darby's translation, intelligence, what marks Christianity is intelligence in divine things. But we can be clear as ice and just as cold. We can have it all, the doctrine down pat. We can be able to enumerate the fundamental truths and doctrines of God's work and that's good. We're to grow in grace and the knowledge.
But as we've been saying, we need not only the Mary of Bethany's example, but we need Mary Magdalene. Because if there isn't affection in divine things, the soul is cold and it's mere cold doctrine.
00:40:01
That Mary wasn't at the tomb because she knew he was going to rise from the dead, Intelligent as to what was going to take place, I believe.
There was another person who was absent from the foot of the cross, and that was Peter. Because there's been already alluded to, Peter was off weeping bitterly, and there was a work of God beginning in his soul as to the fact that he had denied the Lord three times with those and curses. John was at the foot of the cross. You know, you so often have Peter and John together.
John was at the foot of the cross, and the Lord was able to commend the care of his earthly mother to the apostle John. But it's beautiful that on the resurrection morning, and you don't have it so much here. But if we were to go to some of the other gospels, again, like John's Gospel, we find Peter and John back in association together. And in John's Gospel it's Peter and John that run together, and John eventually outruns Peter and so on.
But isn't it beautiful to see that there was a work already beginning, and later on, subsequent to the resurrection, he appeared first unto Simon? Not beautiful to have that private interview to complete that private work of restoration which was made public later on on the banks of the of the Sea of Galilee. But it's beautiful here to see Peter's restoration had already begun. And maybe they're in a practical way. There's somebody here this afternoon, and you've come to these meetings and you say, I haven't followed the Lord like I should.
My affections haven't gone after the person of Christ like they ought to. I've allowed things in my life that have taken me away. But you know this restoration, the same restoration that was going on in the life of Peter here, and the grace that was performing that, that restoration is the same limitless grace and supply that is available to today. It was a process with Peter.
But there is that process and no matter how bad, we failed.
While there may be consequences in our life, and we reap what we sow, there can be, as far as to the Lord full restoration, and there can be, at least in some degree, usefulness again in our lives.
Do you take it that those two men that stood by them in shining garments were angels? And as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said unto them. With sorrow they bowed their faces to the earth. And he said unto them, Why seek ye living among the dead?
This must been quite an encouragement to them, he said he said. And he is not here.
He's risen.
Remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee.
It's that must been quite encouraging.
Beautiful, isn't it, Brother Vern? To see how that the Lord can use his angels in whatever way he chooses.
In Matthew's Gospel it mentions 1 Angel and that was all it took.
So to frighten those soldiers who were supposed to be standing guard that it's recorded, they became as dead men.
These women who women who for the moment were somewhat frightened, which was normal in the sight of an Angel, but then when they are reassured.
They are able to receive a message from the Angel and there's really No Fear after that.
And so how beautiful it is that God can use those messengers in whatever way He chooses. He could use them in such a way and in many times, many ways down through the history of believers. God has done that many times, hasn't he? He's used angels to protect his own and to cause such fright in the natural man that he dares not do what he had intended to do. But here were these women who could see these angels and who could actually converse with them.
00:45:26
And who could listen to a message that was a real encouragement for them?
And so the Lord uses his angels in whatever way He chooses, and they do His bidding, whether to defend his own or to be an encouragement to them.
Been suggested to that those four, four of those words that they spoke, He is not here.
That could be written across everything in this world, Can it? It's not the first time we've heard that. But it's true, isn't it? He is not here. It's so easy to get occupied with what we see and what's temporal.
But the Lord would have our eyes on himself and engaged with what's eternal.
And what's spiritual rather than physical? So that's a good text for us, isn't it? He is not here.
For what? You said down in Burbank, God wants to take you to His world.
That's a great thing to keep in mind.
I've been exercised in some for some months now for first of all with myself, but the danger is that we make Christianity so self-centered, don't we?
But the real secret of Christianity is after our salvation is taken care of.
That God wants to bring us into his world.
Things that are dear to himself.
The things that are have to do with his eternal councils, and that's what he does. And that's what we have later in the chapter, don't we? Some of the secrets that we have beginning with Moses and all the prophets, What a wonderful thing that is. And I've often felt that in our day we have that not to get too far ahead, but we have that, don't we? The word of God in a certain sense has been opened up in these last years in a way that it was never understood before.
We have resources at our fingertips that make it available to us.
Valuable ministry that that gives us the whole council of God. And yet often we act as poppers in this world, and we prove it by what we go after, don't we?
Wasn't it old Brother Hayhoe that used to say we can have as much of Christ as we want?
And our lives show how much we want.
Very hearty. Amen to that.
Even in the gospel that Paul preached and it has been mentioned before. But this is nothing. In that sense. It's nothing new.
Paul starts with God's purposes in Christ and the honor and glory of Christ. You see it in Romans chapter one, you see it in Ephesians chapter one, and so on, where he starts with God's purposes in Christ.
And then man is brought in and obtains blessing along with God's purposes. And when that is the order that is given, God is far more glorified, Christ is far more honored, and man is far more blessed. But as you say, the tendency is for us to make ourselves the center of Christianity, and to that extent not extent. Not only is Christ to some extent robbed of his glory, but we are short chains too, aren't we?
We never, never lose if Christ has given his rightful place.
And even our tendency when we come together, even in meetings like this.
Encouraged we would be helped. But how often do we pray that the Lord would be honored? Well, we do, of course, but how often do we pray that the Lord would have His portion in these meetings as well? That's a good exercise, isn't it? And as I was thinking as you were speaking to in the fourth, in the five sacrifices that we have in Leviticus.
Which was Moses, of course. The first one is the burnt offering, the last one is the sin and trespass offering. God's part is first, isn't it? And that was the great one of the great errors of the Reformers, wasn't it? They thought that God's purpose was man's salvation, but later on brethren corrected that and they said no. God's purpose is the honor and glory of his Son, and man gets the blessing thereby.
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And that just to follow that up out to a future day that really is God's purpose in connection with the future day of vindication for His Son. We think of how wonderful it will be for God's earthly people and for the nations to be brought into blessing in a future day and so on. But why is God looking forward to that day? Because His son will finally have his rightful place and his full vindication on the planet.
Where they spit in him, cried away with him, crucify him and took him and nailed him to a Roman cross. And even the Lord Jesus is looking forward to that day henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. So I just say that because even what is yet future God is looking forward to first of all for the glory and vindication of his Son. But I would like to ask a question. Our time is almost gone because this meeting.
Is only scheduled till 4:30 but.
I want to ask a question in connection with a little comment that is made about the linen clothes in John's Gospel that you don't get here. Because in John's Gospel, when they observe the linen clothes, they observe the linen cloth that had been wrapped about his body in one place and the one that had been wrapped about his head separately in another place. Now there must be some reason why the Spirit of God in John's Gospel.
Has brought in that little difference and made that comment. It was not specifically says it was not lying with the linen cloth that was wrapped about his body, but it was wrapped in in a place separate. Is there a thought in that connection?
Well, I have enjoyed it. I'd like to hear the thoughts of others.
But does it look on to the forming of the one body, the head in heaven and the body here on earth? I've enjoyed that thought, and it's not original with me. It came from some brethren of a past generation. But I have enjoyed it that their God was giving a little indication of what would happen in the future.
There would be a head in heaven, and there would be a body here on earth.
Steve, you must have thought that over.
That I've ever had a thought, particularly in connection with John's Gospel, other than it showed the perfect orderliness of the resurrection that wasn't someone that's in a hurry, doesn't hold that napkin and put it in a place by itself. The Lord's resurrection was a calm.
Event as far as he was concerned. And so there was carefulness and orderliness and everything that the Lord did.
Very good if it's in John's Gospel, because we don't have the Ascension as such in John's Gospel. But as Bill said, we have this little picture, little hint that for a time the head would be separated, that is physically from the body we know connected by the Spirit of God as took place on the day of Pentecost. But in John we don't get the Ascension as such. But perhaps that little picture does that commend itself or not?
Brother.
Harry shared a beautiful thought with us some years ago in Palmyra connection with the resurrection and John's Gospel. You get 2 angels, one at the head and one at the foot of the place where the Lord lay. And that's the very construction.
Of the ark, those two angels, one at the end, one at each end, and their wings stretching out and touching each other, looking down at that place where the blood was sprinkled.
Invitation of another sprinkling of blood. It was done and.
The other thing too, I've really enjoyed the connection with the resurrection. Maybe it's not a new thought to others.
But in Matthew's Gospel, where you get in the beginning of the 28th chapter, the women came when it was beginning to dawn towards the first day of the week, Mr. Kelly says, when it was beginning to grow dusk towards the first day of the week.
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As soon as they were at liberty from the Sabbath, which.
Ended at 6:00, our 6:00 in the evening, the first day of the week began.
And they came while there was still little light to that tomb. The stone was still there. That was their first visit to the tomb, he said. It's not to be confused with their second visit to the tomb, which was early in the morning as it began to sunrise, and even in one place when it was still dark.
And the stone was rolled away. When was the Lord raised from the dead?
You know, any part of the day in Jewish reckoning constituted the whole day, and the Lord was 3 days.
Three nights.
In the tomb, in Jewish reckoning, it was only a few hours before the Sabbath that he was laid in that tomb nonetheless, that constituted the first thing, then the Sabbath.
And then shortly, I believe just a few hours.
After the Sabbath had ended and the first day of the week had begun, sometime in that night, and perhaps very early, we're not specifically given one. God was anxious to raise his son from the dead.
And what did he do in those hours?
As Lord the Father.
Here those few hours with the Father and resurrection.
Before he finally appeared.
To his own for their comfort and blessing. I believe it was not long into the first day of the week that our Savior rose from that grave.
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